What Standard Work Benefits Can You Expect in South Africa and What Other Benefits Can You Ask For?

As much as the South African job market is vast and offers various positions with competitive salaries, there are other perks to working for different companies that can add as incentives to your salary and make your work environment more enjoyable. Usually salary expectations and benefits are discussed during an interview and it’s best to understand them and if possible,  negotiate to improve your current benefits package to suit your lifestyle.

We are going to discuss the standard benefits you can expect in South Africa, what other benefits you can ask for, and provide examples of companies in South Africa that offer amazing employee benefits. We will also give email samples on how to request additional benefits.

Standard Work Benefits in South Africa

The South African law, outlined in the Basic Conditions of Employment Act(BCEA) highlights that employees are entitled to certain benefits like:

• Paid Annual leave; Employees in South Africa all have a right to 21 consecutive days of paid annual leave that means you are given 15 working days as time off from work while being paid for it
• Paid Sick Leave; An employee who works 6 days per week is entitled to 36 days’s sick leave every 36 months. 
• Maternity leave; A female employee is entitled to four conservative months for maternity leave, mostly unpaid but some companies do pay for maternity leave months.
• Family responsibility leave; employees have the right to get a three days paid leave every year for important family events like childbirth, illness of a child or family member and close relative deaths.
• Medical aid contributions; This benefit can be negotiated during salary packages where employers help contribute on the employee’s medical aid for health care to cover expenses.
• Retirement contributions; when the company helps contribute towards the employee’s retirement plan for a more secure retirement.

Additional Benefits You Can Ask For In South Africa

The South African competitive job market may offer additional benefits if you are an assert to the company. Here is a few you can negotiate for:

1. Flexible Working Hours or Remote Work

Since covid19 it has proven that it’s possible to work from home and still be efficient, in cases where your presence is not always needed in the office, you can ask to work remotely or negotiate for flexible hours so that you have time for your family and other things while not affecting productivity.

2. Paid Tuition or Study Leave

One other perk you can ask for during the employment process is opportunity for growth in the company which includes the employer allowing and helping you pay for further studies for the benefits of the company. For example  Discovery assists their employees with tuition payment and access to development programs.

3. Gym Memberships and Wellness Programs

 Banks like FNB and Standard Bank are commonly known for providing wellness support to their employees including access to gyms. A lot of companies have joined this culture to help their employees stay fit and reduce stress.

4. Paid Sabbaticals or Vacation Days

Reputable companies like King Price Insurance offer their employees 30 paid leave days a year and a lot of big companies are getting open to the idea of extended paid time off for their employees to improve their mental health and stay productive and motivated.

5. Employee Discounts and Perks

This is popular amongst retail companies where employees have staff prices or employee discounts when shopping at work. This works best for quality product stores like Woolwroths and Pick n Pay..

6. Paid Parental Leave

The law states that an employee is entitled to four months maternity leave, yet some companies have gone out of their way to offer paid leave for both mothers and fathers to welcome their new addition to the family without financial strain. Vodacom is one of the companies that offers a 16 weeks paid leave for new parents either male or female.

7. Mental Health Support

Companies have followed the footsteps of companies like  Allan Gray, that offer counseling and therapy services to their employees to assist them in taking care of their mental health.

8. Travel Perks

Companies like Flight Centre South Africa have discount travel options for their employees to give them an opportunity to experience traveling at lower prices. These are one of the benefits you can negotiate in South Africa especially in tourism and hospitality industries.  

Examples of South African Companies Offering Fun Benefits

Some companies go all out for their employees to make sure they create a healthy working environment. Here are a few companies that offer extraordinary benefits to their employees in South Africa. 

1. King Price Insurance: A prestigious company that thrives in creating a pleasurable working environment for their employees by offering extra paid vacations, flexible working hours and “duvet days” as benefits for working with them.
2. FNB: Boasts in taking care of their South African employees’  mental health and fitness by providing additional work benefits like  gym memberships and study assistance for further education.
3. Discovery: A company in South Africa that provides additional work benefits like tuition assistance and opportunities for growth within the company.
4. Vodacom: Vodacom has unique additional work benefits where they offer paid parental leave regardless of gender.
5. Flight Centre: one of the perks of working at this company is being provided with travel discounts and opportunities to travel as part of the job.

Email Sample: How to Request Additional Benefits

The following example is a sample on how to effortlessly write an email asking for additional benefits within the company you work for in a professional tone.

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Conclusion

It’s advisable to understand the standard work benefits to expect when working for a certain company in South Africa, this will help you make decisions that will benefit you and choose the kind of work environment that will help you grow instead of burning you out. You can ask for additional benefits during the hiring process or after a careful consideration when you are already on the job. Please consider requesting for additional benefits that would not affect your production in the company so that both you and the employer are satisfied with your work. 

If you’re interested in more tips on navigating your career in South Africa, be sure to explore other articles on our blog for expert advice on everything from job hunting to personal development.

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